How to Handle Another School Year With an Anxiety Disorder

Crowded hallways, presentations, and group work for those of us with anxiety it’s not just another school year, it’s another year to battle your comfort zone. Life with a mental illness is tough on it’s own and adding school on top of that can make things overwhelming. I’m going to share with you some tips I learned to make going to school feel a lot more bearable.

1. Get enough sleep and a great breakfast every morning! I know you’ve heard this so many times before from teachers and your parents but I’m going to tell you this again. It is very important to your mental health that you add sleep and a healthy breakfast to your morning routine. You will feel better by doing this and it will help you start the day off on the right foot.

2. Get a planner and use it! Having a set schedule to follow can definitely eliminate some anxiety. Plan out your days. Knowing exactly what you have to do each day can give you time to mentally prepare for the days’ activities.

3. Ask for help! This may be the hardest thing to do when faced with the stigma attached to it but it’s going to best decision you can make for your mental health. Learn about the resources your school has available. A great place to start is at your schools’ counseling or disability centers.  If those places seem to scary, talk to someone you feel comfortable with such as a friend or family member.

4. Bring Reinforcements! Create a relaxing playlist with all of your favorite songs for your commute to school. Some other tools that can help you remain relaxed are: stress balls, a book, water and more!

5. Start each day with a positive affirmation. Affirmations are positive statements used for challenge negative thoughts that arise throughout the day. Each day before you go to bed choose a positive affirmation for the next day and write it on a note card. Repeat this positive statement throughout your day when the social interaction of school gets to be too overwhelming.

Listen to Episode 7 of my podcast Anxious Ramblings: Back to School Anxiety

For this episode I’m going to give you tips on handling back to school anxiety. The guest for this episode is Leslie. She will introduce to us her club LETS: Let’s Erase The Stigma!